“Couples Dialogue Encounter”: A Journey of Healing and Renewal

Faith Press, a well-known Catholic publishing house in mainland China, recently published the moving testimony of Ms. Wang Ning, who shared how a diocesan-organized Couples Dialogue Encounter brought healing and new life to her marriage with her husband, Jing Wei.

From August 15 to 17, 2023, the couple joined the fifth Couples Dialogue Encounter organized by Zhouzhi Diocese. What began with tension and hesitation unfolded into a profound experience of reconciliation, renewal, and rediscovery of love.

“Before the encounter, our marriage was going through a rough patch. We quarreled often, and my husband did not even want to attend,” Ms. Wang admitted. “It was only through the warm persistence of the service team that he finally agreed to come. Yet, on our way to the parish center, we were still arguing. The atmosphere between us was tense and heavy.”

On the first day, she recalled, they barely spoke to each other. But gradually, the prayerful environment, the sharing of priests and couples, and the gentle guidance of the team opened the way for healing.

One of the most powerful moments came through the exercise of writing love letters. “For the first time, I saw my husband sincerely acknowledge his mistakes. He admitted that his harsh words and even speaking carelessly about divorce were wrong,” she shared. “Reading his words, the deep wounds I had carried for so long began to heal. I was deeply touched, and I asked myself: Have I also failed to love enough?”

From that moment, their conversations became more honest, open, and heartfelt. “We moved from tension and defensiveness to openness and acceptance. Writing love letters drew our hearts closer in an almost miraculous way. We discovered that we had regained the ability to love again,” Wang said.

She described the change as nothing less than the work of the Holy Spirit: “Our marriage shifted from losing all hope to being filled with renewed confidence. What a beautiful gift this was!”

The couple expressed gratitude to God, to the priest and couples who guided them, to the organizing team, and to all who supported the encounter with silent generosity. “Through each of them, we felt the living presence of God’s love,” she said.

Wang ended her testimony with a heartfelt invitation:  “Dear friends, do you long to rediscover joy and unity in your marriage? Then come and join a Couples Dialogue Encounter. When husband and wife are reconciled, God’s love finds a home among us. May we all learn from the Holy Family, and may God’s love always dwell in our homes.”